Adjusting laced shoes to fit a wearer's foot is presently achieved by drawing a shoelace through eyelets, tightening the lace and tying the loose portions of the lace into a knot. Mechanical fastening devices such as latches, hooks or clamps designed for holding cords, ropes, or strings may also be utilized for adjusting cord tension. However, such closures break frequently and are relatively expensive, and many designs are cumbersome making fastening, unfastening and adjustments difficult.
Conventional shoestrings and mechanical fasteners have a number of limitations and drawbacks. For example, shoestrings tied into knots may loosen with use of the shoe or other footwear. In particular, shoelaces tend to naturally migrate toward the bend of a shoe causing increased pressure on the instep of the foot and excessive slipping about the metatarsal.